As a citizen of gitmo nation hummus, Lebanon, I feel that both of you Adam and John need a little more background on the politics of that area. In short, the Christians there failed to hold the fork and supress the sunnis, so the power was granted to the minority Alawites in Syria to supress the hell out the entire area and be the ally to Israel, secretly of course. The Alowites have kept good control and abused their power. I find it strange that Israel would want to loose that peace in that area except for some outstanding rewards. If the alawite grip loosens in Syria, all minorities will be at risk of being slaughtered due to the long time suppression of the sunni majority.

In a statement released Wednesday, his wife and other family members said they believe this condition caused him to act strangely last week, ranting and roaming around a San Diego street in the nude.

The family said the treatment could take months.

"Jason will get better," they said. "He has a long way to go, but we are confident that he will make a full recovery. He is, and will remain, under hospital care for a number of weeks; and after that, the recovery process could take months before he is fully able to step back into his role with Invisible Children. During that time, we will focus not on a speedy recovery, but a thorough one."

They said doctors are treating Russell for "brief reactive psychosis, an acute state brought on by the extreme exhaustion, stress and dehydration," the family said. "Though new to us, the doctors say this is a common experience given the great mental, emotional and physical shock his body has gone through in these last two weeks."

Brief reactive psychosis is triggered by extreme stress (such as a traumatic accident or loss of a loved one), and is followed by a return to the previous level of function. The person may or may not be aware of the strange behavior.

This condition most often affects people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. People who have personality disorders are at greater risk for having a brief reactive psychosis.

Symptoms

Symptoms of brief reactive psychosis may include the following:

Disorganized behavior

False ideas about what is taking place (delusions)

Hearing or seeing things that aren't real (hallucinations)

Strange speech or language

The symptoms are not due to alcohol or other drug abuse and they last longer than a day, but less than a month.

Ironically, NCF, which donated $135,000 in 2009 to Invisible Children, also helps fund the Fellowship Foundation, which works in conjunction with the fundamentalist shadow organization known as "The Family." That outfit has largely pushed Christian Ugandan lawmakers to propose a "kill the gays" bill, which would make homosexuality punishable by death.

"A lot of people fear Christians, they fear Liberty University, they fear Invisible Children - because they feel like we have an agenda. They see us and they go, "You want me to sign up for something, you want my money. You want, you want me to believe in your God." And it freaks them out." --- Jason Russell, speaking at Liberty University, November 7, 2011

It's called the "nodding disease" and it's a baffling illness that has struck thousands of children in northern Uganda. The illness brings on seizures, violent behavior in some (debated), personality changes, and a host of other unusual symptoms.

Malia and twelve classmates, who were accompanied by 25 Secret Service agents, set-off to Oaxaca, Mexico this past Saturday.

The White House has confirmed the First Family has requested news organization to remove stories of Malia Obama's escapades south of the border.

In an email directed to Dylan Byers of Politico.com, Kristina Schake, Communications Director to the First Lady, said "from the beginning of the administration, the White House has asked news outlets not to report on or photograph the Obama children when they are not with their parents and there is no vital news interest. We have reminded outlets of this request in order to protect the privacy and security of these girls."

Regardless of the effort to suppress the story, it seems one site has been able to escape the jaws of censorship.

The Gazette, a Montreal based publication is allegedly the only site still standing reporting on the sightseeing trip.

David J. Holway - Member, National Council on Federal Labor-Management Relations

H.T. Nguyen - Member, National Council on Federal Labor-Management Relations

The Council, created in 2009 by Executive Order, is tasked with advising the President on matters involving labor-management relations in the executive branch. The Council is co-chaired by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, John Berry, and the Deputy Director for Management of the Office of Management and Budget, Jeffrey Zients. The President also designated the following Deputy Secretaries to be members of the Council: Ashton B. Carter, Deputy Secretary of Defense; W. Scott Gould, Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs; Seth Harris, Deputy Secretary of Labor; Jane Holl Lute, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security; and Kathleen Merrigan, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture.

The financial outcomes were radically different for one reason: Ms. Schork had received the generic version of the drug, known as promethazine, while Ms. Levine had been given the brand name, Phenergan.

"Explain the difference between the generic and the real one -- it's just a different company making the same thing," Ms. Schork said.

What's so frustrating about that progression, says Lucica Ditiu of the WHO's Stop TB Partnership, is that all drug-resistant TB "is a totally man-made disease".

Like other bacteria, the TB bug Mycobacterium tuberculosis can evolve to fight its way past antibiotic medicines. The more treatment courses patients are given and fail to complete, the stronger and more widespread the resistance becomes.

The plan is part of a global push aimed at giving TB research the same high profile -- and funding -- that goes to diseases like AIDS.

"A blueprint has been developed, essentially a document on research plans for the next five to 10 years," said Hassan Mahomed, who heads clinical trials for the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative.

The fresh impetus to the research comes as scientists await the release in early 2013 of results from the world's most advanced TB vaccine trial -- one of 12 currently underway.

"That's quite an exciting development, because for the first time we will know if any of these new vaccines will have positive developments for preventing TB," Mahomed said.

Even if that vaccine proves unsuccessful, scientists are eagerly watching the results for critical insights into how to develop other vaccines.

Unfortunately, far more is needed. To be effective, a new set of institutions would have to be imbued with heavy-handed, transnational enforcement powers. There would have to be consideration of some way of embracing head-in-the-cloud answers to social problems that are usually dismissed by policymakers as academic naivete. In principle, species-wide alteration in basic human behaviors would be a sine qua non, but that kind of pronouncement also profoundly strains credibility in the chaos of the political sphere. Some of the things that would need to be contemplated: How do we overcome our hard-wired tendency to “discount” the future: valuing what we have today more than what we might receive tomorrow? Would any institution be capable of instilling a permanent crisis mentality lasting decades, if not centuries? How do we create new institutions with enforcement powers way beyond the current mandate of the U.N.? Could we ensure against a malevolent dictator who might abuse the power of such organizations?

The report summarized 10 years of research evaluating the capability of international institutions to deal with climate and other environmental issues, an assessment that found existing capabilities to effect change sorely lacking. The authors called for a "constitutional moment" at the upcoming 2012 U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio in June to reform world politics and government. Among the proposals: a call to replace the largely ineffective U.N. Commission on Sustainable Development with a council that reports to the U.N. General Assembly, at attempt to better handle emerging issues related to water, climate, energy and food security. The report advocates a similar revamping of other international environmental institutions.

Nine years ago, members of the United States Armed Forces crossed the sands of the Iraq-Kuwait border and began one of the most challenging missions our military has ever known. They left the comforts of home and family, volunteering in service to a cause greater than themselves. They braved insurgency and sectarian strife, knowing too well the danger of combat and the cost of conflict. Yet, through the dust and din and the fog of war, they never lost their resolve. Demonstrating unshakable fortitude and unwavering commitment to duty, our men and women in uniform served tour after tour, fighting block by block to help the Iraqi people seize the chance for a better future. And on December 18, 2011, their mission came to an end.

Today, we honor their success, their service, and their sacrifice. In one of our Nation's longest wars, veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn wrote one of the most extraordinary chapters in American military history. When highways became mine fields and uncertainty waited behind every corner, service members rose to meet the task at hand with unmatched courage and determination. They learned languages and cultures, taking on new roles as diplomats and development experts to improve the communities where they served. Their strength toppled a tyrant, and their valor helped build opportunity in oppression's place. Across nearly 9 years of conflict, the glory of their service -- as well as the contributions of other members of the U.S. Government and our coalition partners -- always shone through.

The war left wounds not always seen, but forever felt. The burden of distance and the pain of loss weighed heavily on the hearts of millions at home and overseas. Behind every member of our military stood a parent, a spouse, or a son or daughter who proudly served their community and prayed for their loved one's safe return. For wounded warriors, coming home marked the end of one battle and the beginning of another -- to stand, to walk, to recover, and to serve again. And, in war's most profound cost, there were those who never came home. Separated by time and space but united by their love of country, nearly 4,500 men and women are eternally bound; though we have laid them to rest, they will live on in the soul of our Nation now and forever. To them, to their families, and to all who served, we owe a debt that can never be fully repaid.

When we returned the colors of United States Forces Iraq and the last of our troops set foot on American soil, we reflected on the extraordinary service and sacrifice of those who answered our country's call. Their example embodied that fundamental American faith that tells us no mission is too hard, no challenge is too great, and that through tests and through trials, we will always emerge stronger than before. Now, our Nation reaffirms our commitment to serve veterans of Iraq as well as they served us -- to uphold the sacred trust we share with all who have worn the uniform. Our future is brighter for their service, and today, we express our gratitude by saying once more: Welcome home.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 19, 2012, as a National Day of Honor. I call upon all Americans to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities that commemorate the return of the United States Armed Forces from Iraq.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

Roberts, who appears less dedicated to federalism than was his predecessor and mentor, William H. Rehnquist, may be "gettable" on such a question. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, the usual go-to conservative for liberals, is a realistic possibility. Even Justice Antonin Scalia, the court's most irascible conservative, might be lured aboard. Alito's past votes make him more of a mystery.

In this case, banks pumped up the real estate market by creating huge volumes of subprime loans, then dumped a lot of them on, among others, Fannie and Freddie, the ever-ready enthusiastic state customer. Now the loans have crashed in value, yet the GSEs (Government Sponsored Enterprises) are still out there feeding the banks money through two continuous bailouts.

One, they continue to buy mortgages from the big banks (until recently, even from Bank of America, whom the GSEs were already suing for sales of toxic MBS), giving the banks a permanent market for home loans.

And secondly, they conduct these quiet bulk sales of mortgages, in which huge packets of home loans are sold to banks at a "big discount."

By now we've come full circle. Banks create the loans, make money selling them off on the market at high prices, then come back and buy them again when they're low.

A week earlier, the Treasury had leaked a purported "short list" consisting of former Harvard President Larry Summers, UN Ambassador Susan Rice and Sen. John Kerry. But it turned out that Rice and Kerry were fake candidates, because neither one wanted the job. So, it appears that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner really had a "short list" consisting of just one person: his buddy Summers. Perhaps Geithner calculated that if he presented President Obama with a "short list" consisting of Summers and two fake candidates, then Obama would have to choose Summers.

"To have a gold standard, you have to go to South Africa or someplace and dig up tons of gold and move it to New York and put it in the basement of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and that's a lot of effort and work," he said.

Out of the 34 members of the OECD, that is just two places behind the board leaders, South Korea.

On the other hand, the average German worker - normally thought of as the very epitome of industriousness - only manages 1,408 hours a year. Germany is 33rd out of 34 on the OECD list (or 24th out of 25 looking at the European countries alone).

Tems has been up and running for barely 18 months, said Maria Choupis, one of its founder members. Prompted by ever more swingeing salary cuts and tax increases, she reckons there are now around 15 such networks active around Greece, and more planned. "They are as much social structures as economic ones," she said. "They foster intimacy and mutual support."

The IMF expects Greece to pass these new measures within the next three months. Otherwise, it will withhold the next tranche of aid to Greece, due in 3 months.

This goes to show that the successful completion of the second bailout for Greece just bought more time, even though it finally included a huge restructuring of debt, worth over ‚ā¨00 billion of debt forgiveness.

Now, some news reports say the Russian's claim they've just sent a Navy tanker to support anti-piracy operations in Middle Eastern waters and that any troops aboard that ship are simply there to protect the tanker's civilian crew and that there are no Russian counterterror troop in Syria. Now, the ship is docked in the Syrian port of Tartus on the Mediterranean Sea. That's a very long way from the Gulf of Aden in the Indian Sea -- the site of most anti-piracy ops. Hey, it could just be making a brief port call. Oh wait, other reports say the ship, and its complement of Russian marines, is in Tartus "to demonstrate Kremlin concern over Syria's stability, and to assist in case of a possible evacuation of Russian civilians from the region"

While Moscow says it's officially neutral in the conflict between the Syrian government and its people, Russia continues to sell arms to the Syrian President Bashar al Assad's regime.

The watchdog organization made the allegations of kidnapping, torture, detention and other misconduct in a public letter to the main Syrian opposition group, the Syrian National Council, and other opposition groups. The letter urges anti-government leaders to condemn and forbid the abuses.

The details of this role are not for us to identify -- they can only emerge from the kind of good-faith negotiations that party officials should initiate soon with the candidate. All we can say is, in this kind of setting, as in the best-practice business parting, the "victor" must err on the side of bigheartedness and dignity. Whatever speaking role Dr. Paul wants at the convention, give it to him. If he wants some sort of advisory role in the new administration, the answer is: "Of course." Like a business leader designing a severance package with a key player, the GOP leadership's mindset must be: "When he walks out that door, Ron Paul is going to be a friend for life."

Because if he isn't, Ron Paul and his followers will make their unhappiness known. And for the mishandling of this defining moment, the GOP will deserve their ire.

The decline of cash is noticeable even in houses of worship, like the Carl Gustaf Church in Karlshamn, southern Sweden, where Vicar Johan Tyrberg recently installed a card reader to make it easier for worshippers to make offerings.

"People came up to me several times and said they didn't have cash but would still like to donate money," Tyrberg says.

Bills and coins represent only 3 percent of Sweden's economy, compared to an average of 9 percent in the eurozone and 7 percent in the U.S., according to the Bank for International Settlements, an umbrella organization for the world's central banks.

"I can't see why we should be printing bank notes at all anymore," says Bjoern Ulvaeus, former member of 1970's pop group ABBA, and a vocal proponent for a world without cash.

The Daily Express reports today that cash dispensers are to be subject to charges, and will no longer be free. This is nothing to do with banks' profits or costs. They are all in robust health, propped up by outrageous interest charges, while banks themselves can borrow at next to nothing. This is an attack on cash.

They want everyone using electronic money - the credit card, debit card or oyster card. That way anyone can be cut off from money - meaning from food, petrol, water - at a stroke of the keyboard.

Interior Minister Claude Gueant described the suspect as "someone very cold, very determined, very much a master of his movements, and by consequence, very cruel."

However, his suggestion that the attacker was wearing a camera around his neck that could be used to film and post video online was described by the prosecutor as "a hypothesis."

Norway's Anders Behring Breivik, the right-wing extremist who killed 77 people in a rampage last year, had suggested in an online manifesto before the killings that a camera could be used to film such "operations." There was no mention in his indictment that he used one.

On Tuesday night, the school attack victims were being flown to Israel for burial there, accompanied by French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe.

I just finished listening to the Sun 18 Mar "Shark Orgy" show. Near the end you talk about the potential of alcohol detecting bracelets being put into use in the UK. You seemed amazed by the thought, and wondered if/when they'll start using them here in Gitmo nation. Well, here's some news you:

THEY ALREADY ARE!

I wore one for 3 months over a DUI conviction, and have known several others who have as well. This is in PA and I can't speak for other states, but we have them here, and have had them for several years at least. To add insult to injury, I had to pay ~$300 for "rental" of the equipment, and another $25/month to go in and have the data downloaded.

I would donate, but there's something even more egregious which prevents me. Dauphin County (where I got the DUI) charges people $50/month supervision fees for the "privilege" of being on probation. I moved to Lancaster County and had my probation transferred there. Lancaster County has a much more "reasonable" fee of $45/month. hah! The whole idea of these supervision fees alone are absurd, but to top it off I STILL have to pay Dauphin County for supervision even though they're not supervising me at all! It ends up that I have to pay $95/month just to get NOWHERE on my actual fines, and being that I'm a full time college student at age 44 it's left me with a situation where I have to shit $3700 (quite a bit more than the original amount for obvious reasons) by month's end or face a judge and quite possibly go back to prison. Shut up slave indeed!

It is absolutely a racket, no question about it. You guys should talk about that sometime: the corruption in the justice _business_, about how we have more people in jail than ANYWHERE on the planet BY FAR (Book of Knowledge: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_incarceration_rate)

I know you won't read my note on the show or give me a karma shout-out as I can't contribute, but if you could wish me some mental karma for when I face the judge and maybe spend a little time looking into this racket we call justice in Gitmo Nation, that would be more than sufficient.

cheers (now that I no longer have the bracelet!)

mark

PS: I would be glad to help you in your Linux migration in any way I can.

According to the CCA, those numbers are only expected to climb higher.

In one slide used in their sales pitch, the CCA says that they operate "in an industry with positive investment characteristics." For those novices in the field of prison investment, the CCA breaks that down rather thoroughly. Not only does the CCA reveal that they have limited competition, but investing in a prison is one of the few "recession resistant" gambles you can make. So resistant, in fact, is that the CCA says they thrive off of bad economic times. One talking point made in the presentation is that there is a "potential of accelerated growth in inmate populations following the recession."

A presentation tilted 'Terrorism Awareness and Prevention' released by the New Jersey office of the agency, said it aims to educate the public on recognizing potential threats in any environment including at work and in the community as well as how to report them.

The document said the 'signs will become particularly evident in a person's eyes, face, neck and body movements.'

According to the report, if an individual has a cold stare, 'trance-like gaze' or wide 'flashbulb eyes,' he/she might be a terrorist.

The document also said if somebody seem to exaggerate yawning in conversation, repeatedly touch their face or ears, or excessively watch a clock or fidget, these may be indicators of a terrorist, The Daily Mail reports.

If passengers pace, tremble, perspire or have goose bumps, the department's report states that these also may be indicators.

The report also states that 'citizens should never use race or religion as factors for reporting suspicious activity.' (ANI)

According to a statement release by the White House, "the United States looks forward to hosting the G-8 and NATO Summits. To facilitate a free-flowing discussion with our close G-8 partners, the president is inviting his fellow G-8 leaders to Camp David on May 18-19 for the G-8 Summit, which will address a broad range of economic, political and security issues."

This past Thursday, the city of Chicago issued a letter of denial to an identical request to the same group to move their march from Saturday, May 19, to Sunday, May 20.

According to the city, the request was rejected due to the lack of police officers in combination with security concerns and logistical nightmares that could arise from the annual event.

"We're excited to be part of the Netherlands' ISR solution for the Ministry of Defense," said Insitu President and CEO Steve Morrow. "ScanEagle provides ISR that is competitive with other larger UAS at a fraction of the price."

ScanEagle will provide the MOD an ISR capability during the second half of 2012, replacing a program that ended in the middle of 2011. Looking forward, Netherlands MOD and Insitu plan to continue to explore the potential for multi-mission ISR capabilities using a next-generation Insitu UAS that carries multiple ISR sensors and enables rapid, robust payload integration.

ScanEagle is a mature system already established with other international customers. The system is combat-proven, with more than 580,000 combat flight hours since it first deployed with the U.S. Marine Corps in 2004. Endurance exceeding 24 hours allows customers to respond to the unexpected.

ScanEagle's rapid response, expeditionary capabilities are punctuated by the success of dozens of shipboard deployments with the U.S. Navy since 2005. Insitu's SkyHook retrieval system allows for aircraft recovery without the use of nets or runways--and without the dangers associated with ship overfly: A vertical rope arrests aircraft flight by catching a hook on the wing of the aircraft. In 2009, ScanEagle was noted for the rapid response ISR that it provided during the recovery of merchant marine Captain Richard Phillips, who was being held by Somali pirates.

Personnel from the Joint ISTAR command are now taking courses to begin operating the system later this year.

The troops entered Beijing to "get and protect Bo Xilai," according to the message.

UPDATE 1: Words Related to 'Coup' in Beijing Censored on Weibo

A mainland Chinese reader has told The Epoch Times that a military coup has taken place in Beijing.

It is still unknown who, if anyone, has been arrested.

The message claims Zhou Yongkang first used armed police force in an attempt to arrest Hu and Wen. However, Hu and Wen had been prepared and Zhou's coup was subdued, though rumors of Hu and Wen being arrested had been spread earlier.

The message says that now both sides, Hu and Wen on one side, and Jiang Zemin and Zhou Yongkang on the other, are mobilizing armed forces. However, only Hu Jintao can mobilize the regular army, which he still controls, according to the message.

The message also claims that forces directed by Zhou Yongkang had taken control over CCTV and the Xinhua News Agency, but that the regular army under the command of Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao had since taken back control of the news outlets.

The news column on Xinhua's website was all foreign news from 11 p.m. on March 19 to at least 8 a.m. on March 20, with not a single piece of domestic news--which is quite unusual.

One netizen posted on microblog: "Strange! Except Beijing Television, no other television in Beijing is broadcasting. This is very strange!!! It had never happened before."

The Department of Commerce said it would immediately begin collecting duties on Chinese-made crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, and modules assembled from the cells, to offset subsidies for producers that run from 2.9 percent to 4.7 percent.

The NRC reported on Saturday at least one boy under the age of 16 was castrated to 'help' his homosexual feelings while in Catholic church care in the 1950s.

Minutes of meetings held in the 1950s show inspectors were present when the castrations were openly discussed, the Limburger said. The minutes also showed directors of the institutions did not think parents needed to be involved in the decision-making process when minors were involved.

Report

But there are indications at least 10 other boys were also castrated, the NRC reported on Saturday. The claims were not included in the Deetman report on sexual abuse within the Catholic church which was published at the end of last year.

The paper says the one confirmed case concerned a boy - Henk Heithuis - who reported being sexually abused by priests to the police in 1956. After giving evidence, he was placed in a Catholic-run psychiatric institution where he was then castrated because of his 'homosexual behaviour'.